Hand-spinner from USA ecstatic about Karakul wool
Jewel Brunmeier of Minatare, a hand-spinner with 15-years experience is a judge at the 4-H Fiber Animal Show at the Scotts Bluff County Fair, Nebraska. She has dealt in her occupation with Merino and Angora sheep wool and Cashmere goat and Llamas hair, writes local newspaper Star Herald. The animal fiber show, held recently at the Scotts Bluff County, has attracted spectators’ special attention when featuring Karakul sheep. 16-years old Clayton Haug of Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, proud of his favorites, walks a Karakul sheep through the arena at the 4-H Fiber Animal Show. Karakul is a breed of sheep which takes origin from Turkmenistan in Central Asia. According to archaeological findings, Karakul sheep has been bred since 1400 BC. Nowadays, the sheep is widely spread in Asia, Europe, Africa and America. The lambs of Karakul grow rapidly, but mostly they are raised for the shearing. Brunmeier explained that Karakul wool is well-used for rugs, tapestries and felting because the hand-spinners prefer stable fiber length. In fact, Karaul wool is known for its low lanolin, a wax sheep secret. This quality makes Karakul wool more desirable for spinning comparing to other sorts. It is enough just to blow out the wool and the fibers became clean. “I started working with Karakuls because they’re easy to show and they’ve got some cool features,” said Clayton. “When you bathe them, it takes about two days for them to dry.” He said that he is used to work with Karakuls 3-4 hours a day. Undoubtedly, the forthcoming Scotts Bluff County Fiber Arts Fair, scheduled for 8-9 September, once again will showcase Karakul sheep, being a real star of Central Asian livestock breeding.
